Ear-trumpet



(No Model.)

W. G. A. BONWILL. EAR TRUMPET.

No. 473,608. Patented Apr. 26, 1892-.

UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE.

XVILLIAM G. A. BON\VILL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

EAR-TRUMPET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,608, dated April26, 1892.

Application iiled March l0, 1891. Serial No. 384,394. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, VILLIAM G. A. BON- WILL, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement inEar-Trumpets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to ear-trumpets for persons afflicted withdeafness; and it consists of certain improvements which are fully setforth in the following specification and are shown in the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention consists in the employment of a trumpet or bell-mouthedportion in an ordinary hat, with its end for receiving the sound-wavesopen to the ordinary opening in the hat for the head of the wearer andwith its small end terminating in the crown of the hat inasound-transmitting orifice, through which the sound-waves may betransmitted to the ear. To all appearance the hat is an ordinary one,and a casual observer would not detect the presence of an ear-trumpettherein. The hat may be used as an ear-trumpet when the hat is removedfrom the head, the open portion or interior being presented toward thesource of sound, so that the sound-waves may enter therein and betransmitted through the orifice in the crown of the hat to the ear. Ifdesired, the bell-mouthed portion of the trumpet may be formed integralwith-the structure of the hat, though in practice it is preferable tomake it of separate material, either of metal or card-board or otherequivalent material, and to secure it within the body of the hat, eitheras a lining or with a thin lining covering it.

In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of a hat having myimprovement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing myinvention as applied to a Derby hat. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2,illustrating a modification of the invention in which the body of thehat itself acts as the bell or cone of the trumpet; and Fig. fl is across-sectional view on line a; of Fig-:1, showing the bell or cone madewith corrugations.

A is the body of the hat, and B is the usual hat-band thereof. IVithinthe body of the hat and extending away from the hat-band is a cone orbell C, formed of metal, card-board, or othersuitable material, with itssmaller end arranged adjacent to the upper or crown part of the hat andpreferably positively secured thereto. cone is hard-rolled aluminum,since it possesses lightness, together with strength and fine resonantqualities.

E is a small tubular part extending through the crown of the hat, whichmay be arranged to rest against the ear for receiving the soundtransmitted through the bell or cone. This small tubular part E may beprovided with -an extensible tube-section or nozzle F, which may bedrawn out to extend the portion which is received in the ear. When thistubular extension F is used, it is preferable that its inner end be madeflaring, as atf, to fit the conical bell C ot' the trumpet, and to avoidbreaking Ithe sound-waves. lf desired, this extensible tube F may beformed of flexible material, as indicated inl dotted lines in Figs. 2and 5, so that the hat may be held in the lap while the tube is broughtto the ear. Vheu this tube is employed, it may be made detachable, sothat it may be removed and placed in the pocket when the hat is on thehead. The construction in Fig. 2 is substantially the same as thatshownin Fig. l. In the one case the invention is applied to a Derby hat andin the other to a silk hat.

Fig. 3 corresponds exactly vwith Fig. 2, except that the body of the hatitself constitutes the bell or cone of the ear-trumpet. In this case thehat may be formed of light materialsuch as paper or aluminum-plain orcovered upon the outer side with felt or cloth.

The cone or bell may be formed with corrugations radiating from the apexor tubular end, as shown in Fig. 4, to increase the area and improve theresonant qualities.

lf desired, the hat-body may be covered with a lining D of lightmaterial, arranged upon the inner surface of the bell or cone C of theear-trumpet; or the bell or cone C itself may be formed to represent thelining.

While I prefer the details of construction which are here shown, I donot limit my invention to them, as it is apparent that they may bevaried without departing from it.

I am aware that it has been proposed t0 place an ordinary ear-trumpet ina cap or head-cover with communication to the eartrumpet to the openingin the hat to admit An excellent material for the bell orthe'sound-waves thereto and a tube .leading from the end of theear-trumpet to the ear of the wearer, and I do not claim such aninvention.

In myinvention the ear-trumpet is formed byabell-mouthed piecewhichleads fromaoontracted sound-transmitting opening through thestructure of the hat down to the open portion of the hat which isadapted to receive the head of the wearer, so that the hat may be used-as an` ear-trumpet when it is removed from the head by presenting theordinary opening or interior of the hat toward the source of sound toreceive the sound-waves.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. As a new article of manufacture, a hat adapted foruse as anear-trumpet,having upon its interior a be1lmouth leading from acontracted sound-transmitting opening through the structure of the hatdown to the open portion of the hat which is adapted to receive the headof the wearer, whereby said hat may be used as an ear trumpet whenremoved from the head of the wearer, the sound-waves being received intothe interior of the hat through the ordinaryopening therein andtransmitted thence through the bell-mouth to the contracted opening inthe body of the hat to the ear.

2. A hat havinga sound-transmitting openf ing through the top of the hatstructure and a bell-mouth upon the interior thereof leading from saidcontracted opening down to the ordinary opening of the hat whichreceives the head of the wearer and being otherwise closed to thereception of sound-waves,where by the sound-waves may enter theear-trumpet only through the ordinary opening to the intlerir of the hatwhen it is removed from the ea 3. As a new article of manufacture, a hatadapted for useas an ear-trumpet,having upon its interior a bellmouthleading from a contracted sound-transmitting opening through thestructure of the hat down to the'open portion of the hat which isadapted to receive the head of the wearer, whereby said hat may beu.,

used as an ear-trumpet when removed from the head of the wearer, thesound-waves being received into the`interior of the hat through i Y theordinary opening therein and transmitted thence through the bell-mouthto the contracted opening in the body of the hat to the ear, and amovable tube for transmitting the wave-currents to the ear carried bysaid contracted opening in the hat structure.

4. As a new article of manufacture,.a hat n provided upon its interiorwith a bell-mouth for transmitting sound-waves, formed of aluminum andterminating in a contracted open- Y tubular part E through the top ofthe hat, and

an internal lining or coveringD, extending over and concealing theinterior surface of the bell or cone.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a hat having a sound-receivingportion open to the atmosphere at its large end and formed with acorrugated or grooved internal surface, and terminating at itssmallerend in asoundtransmitting orifice.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

WM. G. A. BONWILL-` Witnesses:

GEo. W. REED, GEO. B. LAUER.

